I love to cook. But not in a "go to culinary school in France and learn what Au poivre means" kind of way. More in a, "digging through old family recipes and prepare them for others as an act of simple, home-cooked love" kind of way. I also love to write. And not in a "just when I have time" kind of way, but in a "I went to school for this because I love it so much and I've now been a professional writer in at least three major industries" kind of way. I also really love my mom.
I come from a close-knit family where food was a love language and dinnertime meant a guaranteed time to gather and be with each other. Each meal brought us a little closer together. Below is a picture that I took (so I'm not in it!) of my family gathered around the table for Christmas dinner. I will always cherish these special memories!
Mom was an amazing cook. And yes, I know, everyone's mother was the best cook in the world. But Mom...she was just amazing. She treasured all the recipes from her family and made them for us religiously while always looking for ways to improve upon them. She was constantly on the lookout for new recipes to add to her repertoire as well. "Half of being a good cook," she used to say, "Is knowing how to spot a good recipe." As I grew up, I loved learning from my mom and being a part of putting dinner on the table.
About 15 years ago, I was out grocery shopping with my mom, grabbing ingredients for that night's dinner, when she burst into tears. "I'm just going to miss grocery shopping with you, Olivia," she said. I think about that moment a lot. Just a few weeks prior, Mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I think she foresaw, much better than I did, how deeply her illness was going to affect every single aspect of our life, including our little grocery trips. I can't remember exactly what I said in response to this, but I'm pretty sure I did a goofy little dance in the frozen foods aisle to try to cheer her up.
As she got sicker, we stopped going on grocery runs together, just like she had predicted. Church members brought over casseroles, we ordered pizza, or someone else picked up the groceries for dinner.
Mom died 6 years ago: March 18th, 2016. Afterwards, I struggled for a long time. She felt so far away. I wasn't sure I could ever get back to that goofy, dancing-in-the-frozen-foods-aisle kid I once was. I missed her every single day. And those once-magical meals that she lovingly made for our family seemed like they were gone forever.
Over time, I began to heal. I still miss Mom every day, but I find ways to feel closer to her again. And one of the most important ways I do that? Cooking.
I discovered that cooking her recipes, following her directions, and recreating her amazing meals brought me closer to her again. Food is amazing like that. It can even transcend the bounds of life and death.
With this blog, I hope to honor her memory by making her recipes (as well as others that I just think she would like, or that help me become a better cook) and by sharing them with any and everyone. Food, after all, is meant to be shared.
What can you expect from this blog? All kinds of feel-good, home-cooked food. A treasured, authentic jambalaya recipe passed down for generations? Oh yeah. Mouth-watering birthday cake that will make you wish your birthday came every week? For sure. Funny stories and anecdotes that go along with the recipes? Of course. That and much more!
Now don't forget — like I said, I never went to culinary school in France! My meals won't be the most perfect things you've ever seen in your life, but I can promise you they will be filled with love. Although I'm a writer, I'm not a professional blogger, so I'm still figuring out this whole medium. But I hope we can take this journey together. If you're struggling with the loss of a loved one, maybe you can find some hope in my story. I hope I can keep making my mom's recipes and sharing them with you, failing spectacularly at times, getting better, and hopefully passing on the love that was passed on to me.
I hope you find the same joy in this food that I do. Cheers and Bon Appétit!
Olivia, What a wonderful way to honor your talented mom. I look forward to seeing all the recipes. It will bring back happy memories for me! How about the special pancake recipe with the apple syrup? Lots of love! Aunt Phyllis